It has been well known in the art of power supplies for high speed computers to use a switching regulated power supply to convert power from a standard 110 volt alternating current to a precise low voltage, high direct current. Typically, such low voltages are 2 volts, 5 volts, 12 volts, or 15 volts, with currents ranging up to 200 amperes. As used in this specification, the term "switching regulated power supply" refers to that general class of power supplies in which an alternating current source at one frequency, typically 60 Hertz, is converted to a regulated alternating current source at a much higher frequency, typically 20,000 Hertz. This high frequency voltage is stepped down in an output stage and the output rectified to a smooth direct current at the lower voltage.
Switching regulated power supplies are generally used to supply the bias voltage for solid state logic elements in digital computers. Miniaturization of these logic elements and, in turn, of computers themselves, has long been a goal in the art of computer packaging. For this reason, the space restrictions for the associated power supplies have become increasingly stringent, creating a necessity for decreased size.
Furthermore, competition in the marketing of computers has created a need for computers with enhanced capabilities, requiring a greater number of logic elements. Such an increase in the number of logic elements increases the power required to run the computer. Thus, there is a tremendous demand in the computer industry for a power supply which can provide sufficient power to operate the increasingly large number of logic elements of the computer, while at the same time exhibiting qualities of compactness and miniaturization.
Unfortunately, power supplies of the prior art have typically been plagued by inefficient and reduced power output due to resistance losses caused by long or non-uniform distances of electrical path lengths within the power supply. In order to overcome these power losses, manufacturers of prior art power supplies have had to increase the physical size of such supplies, thereby directly contradicting the demand of the computer industry.